>> coming up on "california country," find out why it's always a time to celebrate citrus in california and now more than ever, thanks to some pint-sized products. >> it's like a nice little snack that people have. it's--i don't know. i mean, they kind of-- they make me happy. >> then see why making wine is music to these men's ears. >> ♪ this is dedicated to the one i... ♪ >> now he's gonna sing. >> ♪ love >> well, sort of. heh. next, they're a salad staple, but not all greens are created equal. find out how to pick the best and what to do with them. it's all ahead, and it starts now. [captioning made possible by california farm bureau federation]

for anybody who has tried a piece of fresh california citrus, it's not surprising it's been called the best in the west. and it's yet another of the products that made the golden state a leading force in the world of agriculture. california is the leading producer of fresh citrus fruits. but as the industry has gotten larger, the size of the fruit has actualy gotten smaller. in fact, many think that this little guy may be a big part of the future of citrus farming in california. so, what's bright orange, fits in your pocket, and has marketing potential in california? if you answered mandarin oranges, you'd be right. you see, while oranges count for 2/3 of the state's citrus crop, there is something gaining in popularity these days--their pint-size peers, tangerines, mandarins, and clementines. in fact, they're so big here, california may someday overtake the citrus capital of the u.s., florida, in production of them--all of which doesn't

surprise farmers like craig kaprelian one bit. >> california has a much better climate to grow mandarins than does florida because they need a typically hot summer and a cold winter--hot to bring on the sugars, cold to bring on the colors. so, this is the best place in the world to grow mandarins. >> craig, along with his marketing partner duda farms, harvests hundreds of thousands of petite-sized citrus a day in visalia. after harvest, they are carefully inspected, washed, and packed. anything that doesn't look absolutely perfect will go on to be used for juice or in citrus-scented products like candles and lotions. but one of the first things you need to get straight about these pocket-sized powerhouses is their names. you see, a tangerine and a clementine are both part of the mandarin orange family. and while each has different characteristics, all three are sweet, versatile, and are becoming the darlings of farmers who see the many

marketing possibilities with them and as chefs who see the many menu possibilities with them. >> it's something a little different than just saying an orange. [music playing] it's like a nice little snack that people have. it's--i don't know. i mean, they kind of-- they make me happy, little mandarins like this. you know? >> at the marche restaurant in the south bay community of menlo park, they have a carefully crafted seasonal menu that pastry chef adrienne garcia embraces as she uses the best ingredients farmers offer her and thus allows her to create dishes that let produce like these mandarins be the true stars of the menu. >> it makes you take greater pride in your food, in your desserts, because these people spend every day doing this. and you want to do the best with the product. i try to keep things simple, let the products speak for themselves, that these people do what their lives do.

>> adrienne adds that the sweetness of the fruit is great for her because she doesn't have to add a lot of sauces or toppings to her desserts. she can keep them light and let the fruit shine on its own. and part of bringing what chefs and consumers want to market is what craig tries to do at his farm when he's not farming. you see, he's also a plant breeder, trying to come up with new varieties to meet market demand. he also stays ahead of the game with new technology and planting and growing techniques as well. >> plant breeding used to be a function of, um, of the university system. but as the university system struggles for money and they don't have the resources to do the breeding, private breeders now started to produce different varieties. and what we're looking for is, we're looking for all the great characteristics of seedlessness and easy to peel, high color, and sweet. but we're looking for time periods of the season so we can give the consumer a great piece of fruit from the very

beginning of october all the way through april instead of just having a specific time where it's mature. >> and as mandarins continue to develop a reputation as a healthy, easy to eat, convenient food snack, more californians may realize that bigger isn't always better in the produce world. for "california country," i'm tracy sellers. >> hi, i'm adrienne garcia from marche in menlo park. today, we're gonna be making a honey panna cotta with clementines and candied zest. so, first, what you want to do is, you're gonna bring your milk and cream up to a boil with your honey. so, once this comes up, you'll add in your gelatin and always a pinch of salt. even though this is dessert, you want to bring out the other flavors. so, your honey is gonna taste that much stronger and better just with a pinch of salt.

so, while i'm waiting for that to come up, i'll show you how to segment some citrus. so, you cut off both ends, and then you just go down the side, around. and you can see--just take off enough to remove the peel. you don't want to take too much of the citrus away. this way, it's just pure citrus and flavor. so, you can see it's coming up. it's starting to steam. and it's to the point where we can add in the gelatin and it will melt. and you want to make sure you completely whisk it in. you don't want little bits of gelatin leftover that haven't melted. so, now that it's all hot and melted, you're just gonna pour it into a container that makes it easier to pour into your serving dishes. it's ok if you make a little mess. heh heh. and you can use any glasses you

want. you can unmold these before you serve them. i like to serve them in the container. it's just easier. it looks pretty. and then you'll just refrigerate it for--i'd say at least 4-5 hours until it's completely set. overnight is even better, if you can. and then here we have one that i made earlier that's pretty much set. and to finish it, i'll just put some of our segments that we did right on top. it's very easy to make at home, or you can come down to marche in menlo park, and we'll make one for you. >> brought to you by allied insurance, a member of the nationwide family of companies, which also includes nationwide insurance. on your side. from farm to feast--stay tuned for more of the tempting tastes of california.

>> like the show? you'll love "california country" the magazine, which delivers the best stories from throughout the golden state. visit californiacountry.org

for more information. >> literally farm to table. literally, it's, like, from the garden. it's from the dirt. i mean, they come straight from that place. when you make that connection with the farmer, with the growers, it makes for a different feeling when you're cooking. bor me, now things taste different. >> welcome back to "california country." >> this year is phenomenal. everybody wants to grow their own vegetables. people who've never even seen a tomato plant walk in looking to grow a tomato.

>> this family-run farm is tucked away in the heart of northern california, midway between san francisco and sacramento. once you step inside, you'll soon realize it's 3 acres of land that's bursting with color, wonderful smells, and a huge variety of all kinds of herbs and plants. >> this is an ornamental sage called salvia san carlos festival. this one is a soapwort, saponaria. and the old soapworts, of course, you would take the leaves, and you could actually make them into a natural soap. this is one of our favorite sages, grape-scented sage. the flowers taste like grapes. >> for the last 15 years, rose loveall-sale and her husband dan have been running this farm, but the land has actually been in their family for generations. >> this property at one point was owned by my great-grandparents, and then they sold it to some friends who sold it back to my parents. and they grew walnut trees here. so--and my family actually has been here since the mid-teens of the last century. and they've

been farming this area, this valley. >> rose studied forestry at u.c. berkeley but soon realized she really loved planting things. so, together, she and dan decided to try herbs. success soon followed, and the farm is now one of the largest wholesale suppliers of herbs and perennial plants to nurseries in california and nevada, delivering to more than 50 retailers. >> and i find it a lot more interesting to look for these rare plants, and a lot of them are really good for california climates. they work perfectly in our area. again, they're multifunctional, so you can cook with a lot of them. a lot of them you cook with kind of unusual cuisines. and a lot of them are drought-tolerant. so, it really goes forward on what we would like to promote, which is dry gardening in our area. >> like lavender--30 different types grow on this farm. go ahead. try and say this one's name. >> lavandula stoechas kew red. it's a-- >> wait. it's called a what? [laughing] >> lavandula stoechas kew red.

it becomes important to know which lavender you have. >> the vacaville farm has the feel and the charm of a rustic garden. but make no mistake. like most farms, the work is often 24/7. rose says planting 200 flats of one herb in a week is not unusual. >> makes it interesting, definitely. >> always busy? >> always busy. >> every plant sold on the farm is actually grown right here on this land. about 70% comes from cuttings. the rest is harvested from seeds. >> so, a lot of these plants that you see with the colorful leaves, these are all chukras. >> the farm has 8 greenhouses, and you can find at least 12 different types of basil and more than 5 dozen types of sage plus a whole range of unusual echinaceas and salvias. now, many of these herbs and plants are sold direct to customers. >> i think it's been really helpful, because before i started coming here, i didn't have any gardening experience at all. and so, i really learned a lot about what kind of growing conditions, how much water, how much sun, even where to put

things in my yard, because of how my house is oriented. so, they've given me so much great information. >> rose says if you want to start your own herb garden, there's a couple of things to remember. you always want to make sure you look for a nice, sunny location. almost all of your culinary herbs that people think of as being really important for cooking are full-sun lovers. so, that means at least 4 hours and more sun if possible. >> she says herbs add more color and fragrance to your garden than many flowers. and the wonderful smells last for months. but be warned. once you start, there's a good chance that like rose, you'll soon become hooked on growing herbs. >> yeah, do you do get kind of crazy about it. >> charlotte fadipe for "california country tv." >> this segment is brought to you by the california farm bureau federation.

>> literally farm to table. literally, it's, like, from the garden. it's from the dirt. i mean, they come straight from that place. when you make that connection with the farmer, with the growers, it makes for a different feeling when you're cooking. for me, now things taste different.

>> welcome back to "california country," the show that takes you on an all-expense-paid trip to experience the best-kept secrets of the golden state. >> many would argue that one of the signature agricultural products of california is wine. the golden state is america's top wine producer, accounting

for nearly 90% of the wine production in the country. today, california actually has more than 2,000 wineries. but surprisingly, some of their biggest wines are now being produced by one of the smallest group of vintners-- one of those being at vision cellars, owned and operated by mac mcdonald. the winery only produces about 2,000 cases of wine, mostly pinot noir. but what they lack in size, they more than make up with in personality, thanks to the man in charge. >> ha ha ha! how you doin', man? >> i'm doing great. >> are you having a great time? >> having a great time. >> in the wine business, everyone is trying to get their bottle of wine noticed. but for mac mcdonald, being noticed in a crowd has never been a problem. from his overalls to his straw hat, mac is about as an original character to the wine industry as it comes. but he's banking on exactly that fact as he tries to bridge the gap between his heritage and a new blend of wine drinkers. >> it's to promote wine to all

nationalities, but with special interest on the african-american community. and i think that is good for the wine industry. i don't say you have to drink african-american wine. i just want folks to drink wine. you may not like vision cellars pinot noir. that's ok. >> and mac couldn't have come into the industry at a better time. new research shows that only a handful of wineries are actually owned by african-americans, yet they make up more than 10% of the nation's wine drinkers, which is exactly why mac and a new generation of winemakers are entering the business and trying to educate others about this special way of life. >> this whole wining industry goes along with farming. it's all about a lifestyle, not about money. if you want to make money, go off and become a ceo of some company or something. hit it lucky in vegas or something. but farming is a lifestyle. it's a lifestyle that i grew up with in

the sticks of texas. it's a lifestyle that i woul't give up. >> it's a heartwarming story, because he was really green. and i mean, he came--started later in his career making wine. and but you could see he just had it in him. he was gonna do the best he could at whatever he worked at. and it happened to be-- he stuck it out this far, and he's done just wonderful. [music playing] >> and it's thanks to fellow winemakers like gary and his own willingness to learn that has helped mac succeed in a business where so many have failed. his vision cellars wines have won numerous awards, been served at the white house, and, more importantly, are the culmination of his lifelong goal of being able to make his own wine and share it with others. it's a goal vance sharp knows well. owner of the sonoma sausage company, vance dabbled in the wine business a little before meeting mac. together,

the two and six others came together to form the association of african-american vintners in the hopes of stimulating other minorities to investigate careers within the business. >> it's good being in it and being associated with others who have precisely the same thoughts that you have--although you have your independent thoughts, but there are certain things that we all wake up and think about. and that's good that--that's our bond. >> one of those inspired by the group's tight bond was daniel bryant. he joined the group early on and had a successful customized wine country tour operation called a color of grape. but it was at the urging of mac that he decided to step into the business of making wine as well. in 2004, he released his first vintage, and today, his wine is being served in 4-star restaurants all across sacramento, including the

popular waterboy restaurant in midtown. >> i started in this business from the education side. i did education seminars and workshops all over the country. and as a member of the association of african-american vintners, a couple of the guys say, "you know, you know as much about this as we do. why don't you create your own wine?" i say, "i don't have the money you all have." heh! "and i don't want to be broke the rest of my life." and i talked to a couple of people. i talked to mac. and he said, "i think you can do this. and i'll help you from the standpoint of providing you counsel, if need be. but why don't you do it? why don't you try it?" >> today, this group of pioneering men have as much fun educating each other as they do others. >> what kind of sausage we got here, my man? >> we got some little chicken spinach with feta, we got some bavarian bratwurst. hot italian over here. and in the middle, hawaiian portuguese. >> you think that's gonna be enough sausage? heh heh heh! >> you tell me. >> but besides education, the group has one other purpose--

to promote the wines that are currently being made by african-american vintners. and every summer, they get the opportunity to do both at their annual luncheon and panel discussion. >> the wine is great. and i didn't know anything about the african-american vintners association, so it's all news to me. but the wines are wonderful. >> that you got folks who've always had an interest in this, but now they have a chance to actually demonstrate what they can do. and mr. mcdonald, like i said, is the godfather of this whole thing, from what i hear. [music playing] >> so, while each man had their own goals going into the group, their successes together have tasted sweeter than they ever could have imagined-- which makes sense. after all, how fulfilling are dreams if you can't share them with others? for "california country," i'm tracy sellers.

>> ♪ this is dedicated to the one i... ♪ >> now he's gonna sing. >> ♪ love >> who? yourself? >> where's my backup? heh! >> you? >> i'm sure glad you're in the wine business and not a singer. [laughter]

>> this is a bluebird box, and it's a very small little bird that needs a box to nest in. >> and so, when the's work to have to get done, we've always got one of us that are willing to get out there and do it. >> like the show? you'll love "california country" the magazine, which delivers the best stories from throughout the golden state. visit californiacountry.org for more information.

>> welcome back to "california country." >> hello, everyone. i'm glen ikeda. and today, we're gonna be talking about leafy lettuces. the most popular of the leafy lettuces is the head lettuce, the iceberg lettuce. we all know about this beautiful lettuce. we have so many different types of lettuces today, so let's talk about some different ones. here we have the red butter lettuce--very delicate of all the lettuces. next to it, we have the escarole-- also a leafy lettuce. and when we're looking for these lettuces--like, this is the green butter lettuce-- we're looking to make sure that the leaves are vibrant, they're crisp, they're healthy, shine. sometimes on the bottom, you see a little bit of this orange, but that's ok. as long as the lettuce leaves are nice and crispy, vibrant, that's what you want to look for. arugula--

a very peppery, more nutty-flavored lettuce. it goes great in salads. escarole-- this one very, very fibrous, very healthy for the person. romaine lettuce--great for caesar salads, very high in fiber. and the more popular red leaf and green leaf lettuces. a lot of people want to know, how do you store these lettuces? the best way is to take the lettuces, rinse them, wash them, wrap them in paper towels, stick them in a plastic bag, and put them in the crisper. that will keep them nice and fresh for at least one week, maybe even two. and always remember--buy local, buy fresh, and buy california. >> hi, i'm richard slusarz, chef here at the grand hyatt san francisco. and the dish we're gonna prepare today is a roasted california chanterelles salad with goat cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette. the california chanterelles in season right now--

very wonderful, very beautiful, great flavor. so, why don't we go ahead and make the balsamic vinaigrette right now? so, we're gonna take a little bit of fresh herbs... just a little bit of minced shallot. i have a little bit of stone-ground mustard. take a little bit of balsamic vinegar. all right. and then i have a little california extra virgin olive oil. and the salad's gonna be somewhat deconstructed. but you can see how it makes a nice vinaigrette--very classic with the balsamic vinegar. in this case, i'm just using our spring greens. toss a little bit on this with our greens. then we'll go ahead and plate. then we're gonna take our roasted chanterelles.

and again, you can see, now obviously, they've roasted, they've concentrated the flavor somewhat--herbs, the olive oil, the garlic--just a really nice flavor. a little bit of salt and pepper. we're gonna go ahead and just take a nice, healthy amount, put 'em on the plate. and we're gonna do this salad in somewhat of a deconstructed fashion. so, it has a little bit of a--the guests can mix it or make it themselves. then we'll take a little bit of our goat cheese. and there's so many goat cheeses out there and certainly within varying degrees of intensity and flavor. and i've just taken the liberty of reducing a little bit of the balsamic vinegar. and if you want, you can just kind of do a little bit of garnish just on the plate like that. for the salad--again, nice, very simple, with the greens, the chanterelles, but great flavors. again, spring greens, roasted california chanterelles, a little bit of mild chevre, and a balsamic vinaigrette. enjoy.

>> that concludes today's tou of the best of "california country." join us next time for more undiscovered treasures from the most fascinating state in the country. [captioning made possible by california farm bureau federation] [captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--]